Seam



A. E. ALBIN May 7, 1946.

S EAM Filed Sept. 27, 1943 Patented May 7, 194

sEAM Alonzo E. Albin, Freeport, N. Y., assignor to Bcmis Bro. Bag Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application September 27, 1943, Serial No. 503,882

2 Claims. (Cl. 112-262) This invention relates to seas, and with regard to certain more specific fea for bags and the like, and to their process of manuiacture. 7

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision oia stitched seam which is thoroughly waterproof throughout; the provision of a seam of this class described which is stron tight and .permanent and which is easy and economical to construct. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out herein after.

The invention accordingly comprises the steps and sequence of steps, elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which 'will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, 'and the scope of the application of which will-be indi-- cated in the followingclaims. 1

In the accompanyin drawing, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention, 1

, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ba showing the application thereto or my new seam, one corner being cut open and laid back for presentation:

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed plan view of a section of the seam beforeperformance of a ilnal sealing step;

- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the results after performing said final sealing step;

Fig. 4 is a verticalsection taken on llne-l-l of I"Figs. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of g. 1

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of There is considerable demand for a thoroughly water-tight bag to be-used as such, or asa case lin'er, which will withstand considerable abuse and long immersion without leakage, psrnofleflvl in sea water. The provision of a thoroughly water-tight seam is one otathe obstacles to providins such has and the present invention overcomes this.

It is to be understood that the invention isappiicable to seams lined in many other articles where extremely waterproof characteristics are p desirable.

Referring nowmore particularly tol 'ig. '1, there ducingadesiredeontainersuchss'abegorcase linerz lhb sheet I may be single-ply ormulti-ply and be composed the materials suchas usuales to seams type of multi-ply sheet is one consisting or a middie sheet of fabric to which outside and inside paper sheets are adhered by asphalt. The sheet is iolded over asshown tor example at 3 and it is s the intention to apply seams on the other side 5 and bottom 1. Ordinary stitching will produce the desired seem so far as strength is concerned but the needle holes permit leakage and the sewing thread used would act as a wick for channelin: moisture'in'to the has, even it the'needle holes were tight.

The present invention consists in sewing the stitching 9 through a roving cord II at the same time that the stitching is sewn through the opposite sides I: and I! which are to form the seam.

This is indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The roving cord H is easily broughtinto position during the seaming operation by feeding it under the presser foot of the sewing machine which makes the seam. Suitable guides are used for the purpose.

The characterof'the cord ll isof substantial importance for reasons which will appear. In the fabric art it is often merely called "roving" and 7 consists of an unspun'cord having a very slight and soft twist. The fibres of which this material is made may be wool or cotton and are very iluliy and absorbent. 'The machine for making it is called a "roving" frame, as distinguished from a spinning machine. Ihe twist in roving is purso posely left very soft so as not to interfere with future operations of draft or of attenuation inthe spinning operations. Herein the purpose is to providea very soft, 'flufly. and absorbent cord.

These points are brought out. not with the purpose of limiting the cord to be used to roving cord or roving, but to bring out the fact that such cord is one example or a cord of the characteristics desired.

Thus the desirable characteristics of the'cord 40 I l are that itshall' be soft and fluffy, though perhaps weak in tensil strength, as distinguished from tight, non-absorbent and strong. For example, a type of cord not desired is that shown in I'brtuin Patent 2,242,857 wherein holdin -48 thread is stitched through a so-called rip cord which is stronger than the stitching thread.= In that case the rip cord acts to pull the stitching out of the seam when itis desired to re-open it. softness, iiumness and absorbent properties are anti- 5 thetical to this strength required by Fortuin. isshownatnumerallasheetofmaterialforprm' Since his cord is not subsequentl covered as herein, it must be essentially non-absorptive if entry of moisture into the bag is not to be enly used for the purpose. For example, a useful- Bince the purpose otthe cord H herein isnot to pull out the stitching 9, it may be of less tensil strength than the stitching, strengh being sacrificed to obtain the stated desired soft, fiuffy and absorbent properties.

After the thread 9 has been stitched through the roving and the layers l3 and l5,..the joint is dipped into melted wax which coats the layers l3 and I5 and is absorbed by the roving l l. The roving actsas a wick to lead the wax into position around the stitching 9 and into the needle holes I1. The wax also creeps into position is between layers l3 and I5. Then the wax solidifies and forms a. very reliable barrier against entr of moisture through the seam. The cords form eflective anchoring means to prevent breaking away of the adhesive wax after it has solidified.

Although application of the wax is preferably accomplished by dipping, it may also be applied otherwise as by brushing or spraying. Closure of the open mouth of the bag, after filling, may be accomplished with the same type of seam. Since an empt bag is shown in the drawing, the application of the top seam which occur after filling is not indicated.

The wax is preferably amorphous, so that after solidifying it retains a desired flexibility. If subsequent flexibility is not important, then a crystalline wax may be used. A suitable wax is one which is marketed under the grade name of Q2111. This wax is quite thin when melted so that it easily advances by the absorption and capillary wick action of the roving to the desired point as above indicated. Essential oils may be added to the wax in order to reduce tackiness after solidification but this is not absolutely necessary.

In view of theabove, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. A seam comprising adjacent layers to be joined, cords of fiuiiy and initially highly absorbent even though weak material on opposite sides of said layers, relatively strong stitching passing through said cords and layers, and an initially fluid sealing material covering the outside of the layers over a region including said cords and impregnating them throughout, said sealing material having the portions within the cords located closely around the stitching and. being led when fluid within the needle holes formed thereby and being ultimately solidified, the cord forming anchoring means to prevent breaking away of the sealing material after it has solidified.

2. A seam comprising adjacent layers to be joined, roving cords located on opposite sides of said layer, stitching passing through the roving cords and said layers and of a strength to hold the seam, said roving cords being of less tensil strength than the stitching, and inter-penetrated solidified waterproofing material. covering the seam and located throughout the roving cords and in the openings formed by the stitching and between the layers.

- rALONZO E. ALBIN. 

